Indiana State Department of Health

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Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative

The Indiana State Department of Health is committed to helping all 91 birthing hospitals and birth centers in Indiana achieve Baby-Friendly designation. Currently, Indiana has six Baby-Friendly hospitals. A key objective in Healthy People 2020 is to increase the proportion of live births that occur in facilities that provide recommended care for lactating mother and their babies. The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative is an international model of this recommended care.

What is Baby-Friendly?

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) is a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and implemented in the United States byBaby-Friendly USA, Inc. (BFUSA). The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative recognizes and awards birthing facilities which successfully implement theTen Steps to Successful Breastfeeding and theInternational Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes. The BFHI assists hospitals in providing all mothers with the information, confidence, and skills needed to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies or feeding formula safely, and gives special recognition to hospitals that have done so.

Why do we promote Baby-Friendly?

Hospitals play a critical role in a mother's success in breastfeeding initiation and in helping mothers continue to breastfeed after leaving their facilities. The BFHI focus is to make sure evidence-based maternity policies and practices are in place to support mothers who breastfeed their babies. Data show that, when the BFHI is implemented, exclusive breastfeeding rates increase overall, regardless of a mother's race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.

Division of Nutrition & Physical Activity (DNPA)

The Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity (DNPA) addresses the problems of poor nutrition, sedentary behaviors, and obesity and other chronic diseases in Indiana.

The role of the Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity is to:

Provide statewide leadership for priority nutrition and physical activity policies and environmental changes across all settings and special populations

Serve as a central coordinating body for all nutrition- and physical activity-related activities for the state of Indiana with a focus on increasing collaboration and sharing of resources and reducing duplication

In collaboration with partners, plan, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive state plan to promote nutrition and physical activity and prevent overweight, obesity and related chronic diseases

Serve as a resource and provide technical assistance as needed to statewide partners

Leverage and increase local, state, and federal investment and resources for nutrition and physical activity promotion

Maintain a comprehensive surveillance system for the ongoing, systematic collection of nutrition, physical activity, and obesity data as well as policy and environmental change information